Tuesday 13 October 2015

THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN ANTENNA BOOSTER: BSC ICT 002



A BSC PROJECT

ON

THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN ANTENNA BOOSTER

(WI-FI ANTENNA BOOSTER)


                                                    MAY, 2014

  


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page:
Certification:
Dedication:
Acknowledgement:
Table of contents:
List of Tables:
List of Figures:
Abstract:
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1.                     Introduction to signal boosters.
1.1.1.  Applications of an antenna booster.
1.1.2.  Why are boosters needed?
1.2.                     Aims and objectives of project study.
1.3.                     Significance of study.
1.4.                     Scope of the project study.
1.5.                     Limitations of project study.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. History of antenna boosters to present date.
2.2. Types of antenna boosters
2.2.2 UHF/VHF antenna booster
2.2.3 Wi-Fi antenna boosters    
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
     3.1. Equipments and materials
     3.2. System block diagram
     3.3. Design method.
     3.4. Construction of the circuit
3.4.1    Designing the schematic and layout diagram
3.4.2    Making of the printed circuit board using Press-n-Peel Transfer Film
3.4.3    Soldering components to the circuit board
CHAPTER 4: Testing and Operation
4.1 Testing
4.2 Assembling
CHAPTER 5:
  5.1 Conclusion
  5.2 Problems encountered during construction
  5.3 Recommendation


List of Tables
Table 1 Showing components for the booster          -           -          -           -           -




List of Figures
Fig. 1.1 Cell phone antenna boosters that work    -              -           -           -
Fig. 1.2 Examples of effective Wi-Fi signal boosters             -           -           -           -          
Fig. 2.1 Above is a picture of a GSM signal Network Booster for all Networks in
  Nigeria. (Office and home use)                        -           -           -           -           -  
Fig. 2.2 A UHF/VHF booster        -           -           -           -           -           -           -        
Fig. 2.3 A TV (VHF/UHF) antenna with a built-in-booster  -           -           -           -
Fig. 2.4 Available off-the-shelf Wi-Fi boosters           -           -           -           -           -
Fig. 3.1 The booster system block diagram    -           -           -           -           -           -
Fig. 3.2 The biquad antenna       -           -           -           -           -           -           -           -
Fig. 3.3 A picture showing the how to straighten the wire                        -           -         
Fig. 3.4 A picture showing how the wire is bent at the 30.5mm mark   -           -
Fig. 3.5 The biquad final look     -           -           -           -           -           -           -           
Fig. 3.6 The finished biquad soldered to a PCB          -           -           -           -           -
Fig. 3.7 Picture showing the layout printed on the Print-n-Peel Film     -           -
Fig. 3.8 Picture showing the ironing process -           -           -           -           -           -
Fig. 3.8 Picture showing how etching is done                        -           -           -           -   -
Fig. 3.9 Booster circuit      -           -           -           -           -           -           -           -        
Fig. 3.10a The USB connector schematic        -           -           -           -           -           -
Fig. 3.10b The USB connector PCB layout      -           -           -           -           -           -
Fig. 4.1 Diagram of required antenna measurement equipment                        -           -
Fig. 4.2 Diagram showing different polarizations of the biquad              -           -
Fig. 4.3 Picture of assembled Wi-Fi booster               -           -           -           -           -



ABSTRACT
            Wi-Fi signals are susceptible to signal loss as they travel hence Wi-Fi users are rarely completely satisfied with the signal strength offered by the off-the-shelf Wi-Fi cards, routers and access points. This project research intends to introduce a new design to a device which can provide Wi-Fi users with high signal strength and at a lower cost in order to enable them have a seamless, uninterrupted and reliable communication. To implement this, a biquad antenna, a booster circuit and a USB connector were constructed and a Wi-Fi booster system was formed by interconnecting these three circuits together.
            The function of the Biquad was to receive signals, these signals was then sent to the booster for amplification after amplification the signals passed through to the USB connector circuit which adapted it to a USB connector which is plugged into a computer. Using software to analyze the throughput and signal strength showed a repeated 12dBi gain. Further test showed that signals which could not be captured by the in-built wireless card of a computer system were captured with this device.



CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
An antenna booster is a device which is designed to amplify reception or received signals so that a marginal signal can be utilized. The way the antenna booster works is that it expands the area of the antenna, allowing it to pick up more of a weak signal and then translate it into a stronger signal for the device that the antenna is attached to. Antenna boosters can be used to improve radio signals in any frequency band be it the Very Low Frequency (VLF) band or the Extremely High Frequency (ELF) band.

There are a number of products on the market which claim to be able to improve signal quality by acting as an antenna booster. Some of these products actually work but others do not. Anybody interested in buying an antenna booster should do a research or read the reviews of various products online before buying.
Fig. 1.1Cell phone antenna boosters that work (captured above).

                                                                       



Fig. 1.2 Examples of effective Wi-Fi signal boosters (captured above).

The pictures shown above will guide anyone interested in buying commercially produced antenna boosters be it for Wi-Fi or cell phone boosters.
The simplest form of an antenna booster is simply a length of wire attached to the antenna to increase the length of the antenna. Other methods may be the use of reflectors; which are designed to concentrate the signals and bounce it onto the antenna so that a stronger signal is received. Alternatively, an amplifier can be used to amplify the signals received by the antenna; this method is most effective and useful and will be used in this project.
1.1.1 APPLICATIONS OF AN ANTENNA BOOSTER
An antenna booster can be used for a variety of purposes. One of which is in cell phones, areas which have poor network coverage require a signal booster (also called an antenna booster or an antenna amplify). Although it is difficult to attach an antenna booster to a cell phone without making the phone hard to use, an antenna booster works effectively for cell phones.
Also our television sets also require an antenna booster for us to be able to receive a variety of channels. Depending on the kind of television, the dipole or half-dipole (also known as rabbit ears antenna) which comes with the television is often not used these days by consumers of electronic products. Consumers generally buy an outdoor antenna or subscribe to a satellite television company for better reception. These external antennas always come with a booster, which amplifies the signals received by the outdoor antenna before sending it to the television set.
Another application of antenna boosters is in the boosting of Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) signals. According to Wikipedia, in her publication about Wi-Fi, defines Wi-Fi as a popular technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data wirelessly (using radio waves) over a computer network, including high-speed Internet connections. For instance devices such as a personal computer, video game console, smart phone, tablet, or digital audio player some of which do not have an Ethernet port. Most of the times the signals present are not strong enough, in such cases an antenna booster will do. These boosters can either be attached to the router to increase the transmit power or attached to the device itself to increase its reception (i.e. desktops, laptops or notebooks) via USB port.
Boosters are also used in satellite communication in form of Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA). Here an LNA having a very low noise figure is required.
1.1.2 WHY ARE BOOSTERS NEEDED?
Boosters are needed because wireless signals are susceptible to a lot of data loss. This is due to the fact that wireless signals can be affected by topography; tall trees, tall buildings, weather, etc. Also the wireless network cards that come inbuilt in computer systems and other wireless devices have limited power and range. Furthermore, the built in antenna for television sets and cell phones have limited power and range. Even the transmitters of some television, network operators or internet service providers may not be strong enough in a particular rural area. Therefore if it happens that you find yourself in such a place and require a good reception then an antenna booster would be the right choice.
The fact being that no broadcast station, network provider or internet service provider would want to waste funds and infrastructure on an area in which it would not stand to benefit much from financially. Hence the only option left for a person in such a situation will be to use an antenna booster.
Also, a work situation in which one cannot access an access point (this is simply a device that provides internet access to wireless users) due to the fact that the position of the router is far from one’s reach or obstructed by walls, a Wi-Fi antenna booster can be a solution in such a situation.
1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT STUDY
AIMS:
1.     To construct a Wi-Fi antenna booster which enhances the signal strength (increases it by 24dBi) and extends the range of Wi-Fi signals (by 200 metres).
2.     This Wi-Fi antenna booster would be constructed out of components which are relatively lower in cost than their off-the-shelf counterparts.
OBJECTIVES:
1.     To enable the user of this device enjoy a seamless, uninterrupted and reliable communication.
2.     To enable the user of this device to trap wireless signals that is beyond the reach of their inbuilt wireless card.
3.     To enable the user of this device obtain/enjoy stronger signal strengths across longer ranges.
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT STUDY
This project is a research to design and construct a device which will trap and boost received wireless signals. It is known that wireless devices that receive and transmit wireless signals such as wireless cards, routers, access points etc already exists. In fact Wi-Fi antenna boosters also exist. These devices often have their limitations, for instance, the wireless signal antennas in a laptop computer are enclosed in the laptop case. This enclosure leads to a bad reception. Also the wireless network cards that come inbuilt in laptops, routers, or access points have limited power and range. The solution then lies in getting a wireless card with higher power or attaching an antenna booster to the computer.
Hence the significance of this project is that a method of constructing an affordable Wi-Fi booster will be introduced, discussed and implemented. This will include the circuit design, materials and tools required, the test results and the actual construction of the circuit.
1.4 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT STUDY
This project focuses on designing and constructing an amplifier which will act as a Wi-Fi booster and constructing a biquad antenna attached to it. The whole setup will consist of a Wi-Fi USB adapter (for converting the signals from the coaxial  cable into a USB adaptable form), the amplifier (booster) and an antenna. The antenna will trap the signal which is sent to the booster, the booster then amplifies the signal and sends it to the USB adapter which is connected to the system then sends the amplified signal to the system.
Alternatively, it will be note worthy to mention that this same device (the Wi-Fi booster) can be connected to a router and the biquad antenna then serves as a transmitting antenna. This aspect is beyond the scope of this project.
1.5 LIMITATIONS OF PROJECT STUDY
The limitations of this project study will likely be; acquiring test equipments and adapting the signals from the coaxial cable to a USB connector.
Test equipments for this project are not readily available; hence this will be a limitation. The testing of the circuits that will be built has to be done in another way, almost like improvising. Another challenge in the construction of this project would likely be the process of adapting the signals fed through the coaxial cable to a USB connector which is needed for connection to the computer.

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1 comment:

  1. Introduction to signal boosters. 1.1.1. Applications of an antenna booster. 1.1.2. Why are boosters needed? 1.2. Aims and objectives of project ... atbooster.blogspot.com

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